Which school has the best GCSE results in Merseyside?

On 2025 Attainment 8, The Blue Coat School tops the table in Merseyside with 79.5, against an England average of 46.0. Attainment 8 rewards intake as well as teaching, so compare a school's grade 5+ pass rate and, where published, its Progress 8 before reading the rank as a verdict.

When are the 2026 GCSE results for Merseyside schools published?

Pupils receive their results in August, but school-by-school figures come from the DfE performance tables, which publish provisional results in the autumn (usually mid-October) and revised figures early in the new year. This table shows 2025 results, the 2024/25 academic year, and updates when the next release is imported.

What is Attainment 8?

Attainment 8 is the DfE's headline GCSE measure: the average points a school's pupils achieved across eight qualifications, with English and maths counted twice. A score of 50 means pupils averaged roughly a grade 5 across those subjects. No Progress 8 exists for 2025 because these pupils sat no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020.

Why does a school in Merseyside show no GCSE results?

A school has no published figure when it had no Year 11 cohort in the year (a new school, or one that opened with younger year groups), when it converted to an academy and the DfE published results under its previous identity, or when it is independent and its pupils sat IGCSE, Pre-U or IB qualifications that the DfE tables do not count. Independent schools with a published figure are listed separately and unranked for that reason.

Merseyside GCSE results 2025: secondary school league table

78 state secondary schools in Merseyside ranked on their 2025 GCSE results (Attainment 8, the 2024/25 academic year, the latest DfE has published for every school), with grade 5+ and grade 4+ in English and maths, EBacc average point score and cohort size for each school against the England average. 5 schools with no published results are listed at the end. 6 independent schools with published results are listed separately, unranked.

County 83 state secondary schools 2024/25 results

Secondary schools in Merseyside ranked on Attainment 8

78 of 83 schools have published 2025 results. Source: DfE school performance tables, 2024/25.

Secondary schools in Merseyside ranked on Attainment 8, 2025 results
Rank	School	Attainment 8	Grade 5+ English & maths	Grade 4+ English & maths	EBacc APS	Pupils
–	England average	46.0	45%	65%	4.09	–
1	The Blue Coat School Liverpool · Academy converter	79.5	98%	99%	7.80	176
2	West Kirby Grammar School Wirral · Academy converter	71.3	96%	98%	6.80	183
3	Wirral Grammar School for Girls Wirral · Academy converter	69.3	92%	99%	6.44	180
4	Calday Grange Grammar School Wirral · Academy converter	68.1	93%	96%	6.46	216
5	Upton Hall School FCJ Wirral · Academy converter	65.6	88%	99%	6.29	154
6	Wirral Grammar School for Boys Wirral · Academy converter	65.4	91%	99%	6.21	156
7	St Anselm's College Prenton · Academy converter	57.2	76%	94%	5.15	159
8	Liverpool College Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	55.1	66%	81%	5.12	148
9	Formby High School Liverpool · Academy converter	54.3	66%	79%	4.53	187
10	The Belvedere Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	53.8	60%	79%	4.78	156
11	Birkdale High School Southport · Academy converter	51.9	57%	74%	4.90	176
12	St Hilda's Church of England High School Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	51.8	65%	78%	4.49	171
13	St Edward's College Liverpool · Academy converter	51.6	62%	82%	4.65	175
14=	Greenbank High School Southport · Academy converter	50.6	51%	70%	4.69	208
14=	Rainford High School St Helens · Academy converter	50.6	56%	78%	4.43	283
16	Birkenhead High School Academy Prenton · Academy sponsor led	50.5	45%	71%	4.41	137
17	St Margaret's Church of England Academy Liverpool · Academy converter	49.6	54%	74%	4.02	171
18	Chesterfield High School Liverpool · Academy converter	48.4	53%	75%	4.27	257
19	Bellerive FCJ Catholic College Liverpool · Academy converter	47.3	42%	69%	3.97	142
20	Holly Lodge Girls' College Liverpool · Community school	47.2	45%	68%	4.32	152
21	St Julie's Catholic High School Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	46.9	42%	67%	3.75	169
22	Liverpool Life Sciences UTC Liverpool · University technical college	46.3	46%	63%	3.88	136
23	Calderstones School Liverpool · Community school	46.1	43%	65%	4.25	263
24	Rainhill High School Prescot · Academy converter	45.9	41%	64%	3.87	291
25	North Liverpool Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	45.6	38%	56%	3.62	221
26=	Holy Family Catholic High School Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	44.8	44%	63%	3.70	172
26=	Pensby High School Wirral · Foundation school	44.8	43%	73%	3.67	171
28	Meols Cop High School Southport · Academy converter	44.7	36%	60%	3.82	173
29	Maricourt Catholic High School Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	44.5	44%	65%	3.57	199
30	Range High School Liverpool · Academy converter	44.2	39%	64%	3.84	174
31	Hope Academy Newton-le-Willows · Academy sponsor led	43.8	33%	57%	3.71	274
32	The Sutton Academy St Helens · Academy sponsor led	43.1	39%	55%	3.74	256
33	Deyes High School Liverpool · Academy converter	42.8	36%	60%	3.66	217
34	St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Academy St Helens · Academy sponsor led	42.6	28%	57%	3.45	79
35	Sacred Heart Catholic Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	42.4	38%	58%	3.53	170
36	West Derby School Liverpool · Academy converter	42.0	42%	65%	3.75	171
37=	Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre Southport · Voluntary aided school	41.8	37%	58%	3.51	113
37=	Weatherhead High School Wallasey · Academy converter	41.8	28%	53%	3.71	253
39	Litherland High School Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	41.7	37%	60%	3.34	134
40	Halewood Academy Knowsley · Academy converter	41.6	38%	56%	3.57	223
41	Archbishop Beck Catholic College Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	41.5	35%	64%	3.60	177
42	Outwood Academy Haydock St Helens · Academy sponsor led	41.1	30%	58%	3.58	147
43	Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	40.9	29%	55%	3.18	240
44=	All Saints Catholic High School Knowsley · Voluntary aided school	40.6	34%	55%	3.23	194
44=	Stanley High School Southport · Academy sponsor led	40.6	31%	53%	3.66	176
46=	Birkenhead Park School Birkenhead · Academy sponsor led	39.9	30%	49%	3.35	138
46=	Lord Derby Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	39.9	28%	53%	3.68	204
48	Hillside High School Bootle · Academy sponsor led	39.8	35%	52%	3.62	130
49	Maghull High School Liverpool · Academy converter	39.6	30%	57%	3.39	203
50=	St John Bosco Arts College Croxteth · Voluntary aided school	39.4	20%	44%	3.55	169
50=	The Studio School Liverpool Liverpool · Studio schools	39.4	38%	60%	3.04	60
52	Cowley International College St Helens · Community school	39.3	30%	48%	3.54	240
53=	Broughton Hall Catholic High School Liverpool · Voluntary aided school	39.2	24%	51%	3.27	198
53=	Ridgeway High School Prenton · Foundation school	39.2	25%	53%	3.09	175
55	Hilbre High School Wirral · Academy converter	39.0	25%	48%	3.09	192
56	Prenton High School for Girls Birkenhead · Academy converter	38.9	33%	55%	3.32	154
57	Woodchurch High School Wirral · Academy converter	37.9	28%	52%	3.24	281
58	Co-op Academy Bebington Wirral · Academy sponsor led	37.3	29%	46%	3.04	187
59	St John Plessington Catholic College Wirral · Academy converter	37.2	29%	50%	3.11	267
60	St Francis Xavier's Catholic Academy Liverpool · Academy converter	36.7	32%	55%	3.37	177
61	Childwall Sports & Science Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	36.2	27%	48%	2.97	179
62	The Academy of St Francis of Assisi Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	35.8	23%	45%	3.09	164
63	The Prescot School Liverpool · Academy converter	35.5	23%	44%	2.90	146
64	The Mosslands School Wallasey · Community school	35.2	20%	42%	2.88	176
65=	King's Leadership Academy, Liverpool Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	34.5	22%	41%	3.05	125
65=	St Cuthbert's Catholic High School St Helens · Voluntary aided school	34.5	25%	44%	2.79	163
67	Dixons Broadgreen Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	34.4	21%	43%	3.25	167
68	Dixons Fazakerley Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	33.4	20%	45%	2.92	145
69	St Mary's Catholic College Wallasey · Academy sponsor led	33.2	17%	35%	2.55	204
70=	King's Leadership Academy Hawthornes Bootle · Free schools	32.2	17%	35%	2.94	106
70=	The Salesian Academy of St John Bosco Bootle · Academy sponsor led	32.2	19%	33%	2.55	75
72	Dixons Croxteth Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	31.6	16%	31%	2.97	51
73	Kirkby High School Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	31.4	20%	37%	2.55	185
74	Notre Dame Catholic Academy Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	31.0	22%	36%	2.32	177
75	Saint Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic Academy Prescot · Academy sponsor led	30.2	11%	35%	2.46	133
76	The Academy of St Nicholas Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	29.4	20%	39%	2.37	129
77	Alsop High School Liverpool · Academy sponsor led	28.2	12%	27%	2.40	252
78	The Oldershaw School Wallasey · Academy converter	28.0	12%	29%	2.25	156
–	Archbishop Blanch CofE High School Liverpool · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	De La Salle School St Helens · Academy sponsor led · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	Gateacre School Liverpool · Academy sponsor led · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	LIPA School Liverpool · Free schools · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–
–	South Wirral High School Wirral · Academy converter · No published GCSE results	–	–	–	–	–

Schools with the same Attainment 8 score share a rank (shown as "=").

Independent schools in Merseyside with published GCSE results

Listed as published, not ranked. The DfE tables count only reformed GCSEs, so a school whose pupils sit IGCSE, Pre-U or the IB reports a lower figure than its results merit, or none at all. Compare independent schools on their own published examination results and inspection reports.

School	Attainment 8 (as published)	Grade 5+ English & maths	Pupils
Auckland College Liverpool · Other independent school	37.8	17%	18
Birkenhead School Prenton · Other independent school	44.6	0%	85
Christian Fellowship School Liverpool · Other independent school	60.7	74%	19
Merchant Taylors' Schools Liverpool · Other independent school	21.4	0%	125
NexGen Academy Liverpool · Other independent school	8.2	14%	7
Tower College Prescot · Other independent school	56.1	65%	17

How to read this table

Attainment 8 is the average points a school's pupils achieved across eight GCSE subjects: English and maths (double-weighted), three EBacc subjects (sciences, computing, history, geography, languages) and three further approved qualifications. The DfE publishes it for every state school; the England average for 2025 was 46.0.

Grade 5+ in English and maths is the share of pupils reaching a "strong pass" in both; grade 4+ is the "standard pass". EBacc APS is the average point score across the English Baccalaureate subjects, including pupils who did not enter them.

Progress 8 is not shown: the DfE published no Progress 8 for 2025 because these pupils sat no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020, the baseline it is measured from, and the same applies to 2026. Attainment 8 rewards intake as well as teaching, so a selective school will usually top an attainment-only table.

Ranks are shared where scores tie. Schools are ranked here on published results alone; our composite score, which also weighs Ofsted inspection, progress and attendance, orders the same schools on the best secondary schools page.

See the best secondary schools in Merseyside on our composite score

Merseyside GCSE results 2025: secondary school league table

Secondary schools in Merseyside ranked on Attainment 8

Independent schools in Merseyside with published GCSE results

More about schools in Merseyside

Merseyside GCSE results: common questions